reorganisation and destruction of irish catholic churches
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@Fearg wrote:
Ah – you can also see very clearly there the mess in the room above the baptistry..
Ferg!
Just take another look at this picture.
Would you not say that the upright piece on the right is one of the timber pillars used to support the divisions between the nave and the aisles? The shape seems right.
Here is a close up of the wrought iron strapwork on the main door of St. COlman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
Am I to be believe that it requires no maintenance?
Rhabanus!
Here are some more shots of those pidgeon infested Apostles on the chevet of St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
The other significant problem with St. Colman’s Catheral, Cobh, Co. Cork, is the internal mosaic work. When the timber floor was recently replaced in the nave, no proper edging was installed to protect the edges of the mosaic on the walkways. The result of this has been an alarming decay of the mosaics, especially their edges which are constantly chipped by bences which have been place on to of the mosaic edges. Professor Cathal O’Neill proposed resolving the mosaic problem by ripping out about 50% of it -after which the remaining 50% would not be that noticeable.
One of the great mosaic treasures in Cobh Cathedral is the floor of the Sacred Heart Chapel. It is a tour -de- force of a representation of the medieval bestiary and of the symbolic depiction of the triumph of the Lamb over sin, evil and death where each is represented by one of the fabulous beasts.
The present custodians of the Cathedral have little or no understanding of this language and are quite content to use the chapel as a dumping ground for rubbish and other bits and pieces of junk. Of course, Professor Cathal O’Neill would not have given a second thought to digging out the entire floor.
@Praxiteles wrote:
Ferg!
Just take another look at this picture.
Would you not say that the upright piece on the right is one of the timber pillars used to support the divisions between the nave and the aisles? The shape seems right.
It more than likely is – in fact more than one of them! On the equivalent window on the north side, a large crucifix was also very visible from outside. It looks a bit damp up there as well, is that more slime on the INSIDE of that glass.. tell me, was there ever diamond glazing in that window? I find it hard to believe that is the original glass..
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Cork
The Lady Chapel in the North Transept.
Again, the floor of this chapel is a masterpiece of the mosaic master craftsman and contains depictions of several mystical subjects taken from the Canticle of Canticle referring to Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception.
The altar and statue are of flawless Carrara marble.
Unfortunately, this chapel has been converted into a store room for benches taht have been displaced by stupidly rearranging their orientation. Their weight is causing grave damage to what is essentially an ornamental floor. Again, it is perfectly clear that none of these benches was made for this chapel.
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
The Chapel of the Blessed Thaddeus McCarthy
This chapel again has a fine ornamental floor into which odd bits of stray furniture have been dumped.
The altar has been stripped of its furnishings and cloths and little or no notice is given to the casket underneath the altar containing the relics of Blessed Thaddeus McCarthy brought from Ivrea in 1895.
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh Co. Cork
The fifth significent chapel in the Cathedral is the general Mortuary Chapel located in the base of the spire.
The altar has been stripped of its cloths and ornaments and is generally treated with an appaling disrespect.
The Mrtuary itself is used as a general dump with all sorts of junk pitched into it. Inded, Cobh Urban District Council could well have reason to investigate it as an unlicensed dumping area.
The walls and ceiling vault are stained by heavy water ingress taht would seem to be ongoing for years and nothing has been done about it.
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
The Baptistery
This must surely be one of the most neglected parts of the Cathedral interior. Again, this space is full of rubbish and clutter and generally untidy.
Until reently, the brass cover for the baptismal font was left suspended from the wall where it was certain to bring te mechanism for lifting it away from the wall. WHile the brass cover is now on the font, it is still not sitting on it.
The back wall has had several pieces of the marble wainscott hacked off the wall. SOmeone has knocked out two of the pillars from the rail and one seems to have been stolen. The rail itself has been damaged for some reason. Indeed, the entire space gives the appearance of having been vandalized and nobody is too worried about it and no remedial action is being taken.
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
The Altar of the Crucifixion in the South transept
This altar has been stripped of its cloths and fittings. Professor Cathal O’Neill proposed hacking the predella from in front of the altar and stacking a dozen benches in front of it.
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork.
The Altar of the Holy Family, located in the North transept, again has been stripped of its cloths and ornamenta. As with its counterpart in the South transept, Professor O’Neill proposed hacking out the predella of the altar and stacking benches in front of the altar.
The prototype for the central panel of the rerdos of the Altar is Raphael’s picture of the Marriage of the Virgin of 1504 now in the Brera in Milan.
@Praxiteles wrote:
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork.
The Altar of the Holy Family, located in the North transept, again has been stripped of its cloths and ornamenta. As with its counterpart in the South transept, Professor O’Neill proposed hacking out the predella of the altar and stacking benches in front of the altar.
The prototype for the central panel of the rerdos of the Altar is Raphael’s picture of the Marriage of the Virgin of 1504 now in the Brera in Milan.
I note from the photo provided of the chapel of the Holy Family that although the cathedral is crumbling away with each passing hour, someone has hung a false wreath on a pillar. More frippery! If the cathedral cannot afford a real wreath, then it is more prudent to do without until a real one can be obtained. Silken flowers and phony wreathes are tatty in the extreme and have no place in a house of worship.
The place needs a thorough cleaning. An industial-size dumpster parked outside could catch all the junk.
I gather from various remarks on the previous several photos that Cathal was some sort of local architectural guru before whom the regional prelates rolled over so as to let him scratch their bellies. How did he, with all his ill-conceived iconoclasm, rise to such prominence in Irish ecclesiolitics? Is he a relative of some archbishop or prince of the Church over there? Is his wife th esister of a bishop?
Why are some groups of people so eager to feed the dragon that promises to consume them? The right idea is to conquer the dragon, or at least banish the dragon lest it succeed in its malevolent designs. It’s pretty pathetic to think that no one in Ireland stood up to the old puffer and showed him the pointy side of a lance backing him inexorably toward the egress.
The thing about dragons is there’s more of fumery and puffery than of real substance to them.
Has no one advanced Cathal to the Order of the Boot?
@Praxiteles wrote:
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
The Altar of the Crucifixion in the South transept
This altar has been stripped of its cloths and fittings. Professor Cathal O’Neill proposed hacking the predella from in front of the altar and stacking a dozen benches in front of it.
😡 Good God, the violation of or culture just goes from bad to worse.
What would happen if some joker suggested;
Replacing the cape on the Statute of Liberty with a track suit?
Welded the “gaps†in the Eiffel Tower?
Replaced Tower Bridge with a Motorway flyover?
Repainted the Sistine Chapel?
Replaced the stars of the U.S. flag with smiley faces?Ropes and trees spring to mind.
Here in Ireland we appoint such jokers to town councils.St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
The South Arcade
The Sout arcade has been exposed to prolonged water ingress about which nothing has been done until perhaps very recently. It would now seem that a process of drying out is taking place which is causing the bath stone in ceiling of the arcades to crumble with the result that a fine white dust and larger flakes of material continually fall onto the seating in the arcade. This has been reported tot he Cathedral authoirites on several occasions by a number of people but nothing happens.
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
The North Arcade
Like the South Arcade, the North Arcade also suffers from the long term effects of water ingress which has never been properly addressed.
I just have to wonder….what kind of eejits spend millions on renovation and then let it fall into disrepair… or do they think the congregation will fork out again in 8 or 10 years by which time another major renovation will be needed. Its senseless….I can recall people donating, sponsoring a slate..you name name and for what to let it all go downhill thereafter……
There are times I would reckon the OPW would do a better job of maintaining it than these so called guardians…
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